


kinds of hope

by echomoon



Series: tumblr drabbles [4]
Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Animal Transformation, Childhood Friends, F/M, Fluff, Sharing a Bed, not explicitly shippy but borderline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 16:14:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13721343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/echomoon/pseuds/echomoon
Summary: quentin was the first person julia told about her magic. she just may have neglected to tell him about a few other parts of the situation.





	kinds of hope

**Author's Note:**

> dedicated to rekter

quentin’s first impulse once getting over the shock of finding out julia’s secret and being shocked out of his depression is to start figuring out ways to test what she can do beyond sparks. he’s revitalized by her reveal, and as he leads her to the physical cottage he can’t stop rambling about what they could try. julia keeps in stride with him, a smile on her face that he hasn’t seen in what seems like ages. 

there are students milling about the cottage - with the illusion’s castle having broken when it crashed to the ground, and the extra space in the library attic that used to hold the knowledge students having disappeared along with magic, all of the remaining dorms were filled up with the students that stayed. so they go up to quentin’s room, after snagging various supplies from around the first floor to test with.

but when they get up to quentin’s room, julia just sits on the bed, her smile fading.

“we should start with the basics,” quentin is saying, digging through his textbooks for his old popper workbook. jules had never gotten a proper brakebills education, after all, so maybe looking through that would reveal more spells she could do. and then he turns and looks at her. “jules?”

“there’s... one other thing.” she says softly, twisting her rings like she always did when she was nervous. and julia has always been so strong, especially after everything, but now she just looks shaken.

quentin sits on the bed beside her, both squished together on the narrow edge, and lightly pulls her hands apart, keeping on between his own. she leans against his shoulder, laces her fingers with his. despite everything, the physical comfort comes easy to them. they sit like that for a while, reveling in each other’s touch. quentin wants to know so urgently what else there is, but is willing to wait for julia to be ready to tell him.

eventually she pulls away. quentin feels cold without her touch. she scoots back further onto the bed, pulls her feet up to sit cross legged. 

“most of the time,” she says, worrying her bottom lip, “most of the time, i can’t control this. but sometimes i can, so.”

and with that, she closes her eyes, furrows her brow with concentration. quentin watches her, worried, wanting to reach out and pull her into a hug. and then the air starts to fill with the scent of magic, sharp and ozone-y, and quentin can hardly breathe.

and then one second julia is there, and the next shes gone, replaced by a small orange fox. the fox opens its eyes, and the bright yellow orbs start at quentin, unnerving him. he knows it has to be julia, but those eyes - they look like reynards. he doesn’t know what to do.

“julia.” he says softly. the fox pads towards him, nudges his hand with hes head. he lets out a small laugh. “what, you want me to pet you?”

she jumps into his lap, and he laughs again. her fur is soft to touch, and she settles against him as he gets into a rhythm of petting her. petting his best friend. such a weird situation to be in, but with everything that’s happened since starting brakebills he’s hardly phased.

“we’ll figure this out.” he says to her. she licks his hand, which is weirdly reassuring. and then he wonders why she hasn’t changed back. “....are you stuck like this now?”

he didn’t think it was possible for a fox to look so exasperated.

“okay, okay.” he smiles at her, and goes back to petting.

eventually he ends up laying down - he had gone out to the fountains to clear his head after a long day, and while julia’s interruption gave him some energy back, it faded - with fox julia resting on his chest. it’s comfortable.

he wakes up in the morning with human julia curled up half on top of him, something that hadn’t happened since they were little kids and still allowed to have sleepovers together. she had always gravitated towards the warmest thing, and that was usually quentin. he tries to wriggle out from under her, but she’s heavier than she seems, and his wiggling just wakes her up.

she blinks sleepy eyes at him and he’s suddenly struck with feelings he thought he had gotten over, warmth blooming in his chest.

“hey.” he says to her.

“hey.” she smiles. she brings a hand up to his face, brushes some hair back from it.

somehow it isn’t awkward at all, just comfortable. they fit together.

“you want to start experimenting?” he asks.

“no, i want to sleep.” she grumbles, but she’s smiling.

he laughs. “fine, but you need to let me up, i have to pee.”

“nooo, you’ll take the warm away.” she says, moving off of him but grabbing onto his arm when he tries to get out of bed.

when he’s finally free, moving towards the door, he pauses, and hopes what he’s about to say isn’t crossing a line considering everything that’s happened.

“jules? i love you.”

he’s rewarded with a beaming smile.

“love you too, q. hurry back.”


End file.
